My very favorite tree for attracting birds in the spring was my ornamental pear. All the birds loved it, and it brought in nectar loving birds like the Baltimore Oriole. I lost that one in the storm, but I will plant another. Also, there is a good list on this website as to what trees or shrubs attract birds.

Here is a link that might be useful: Michigan Bluebirds - planting for birds

Many thanks, Kendra. An ornamental pear sounds lovely--how big does it get? We get dozens of orioles every spring (because we put out grape jelly and oranges), so if it makes them happy, I'm happy!

I'll check out the link you posted as well.

we live in the foothills and its borderline cold for some fruits and berrys. but the better ones are elderberrys and chokecherrys and crabapples and they all attract birds both in spring for the blossoms and fall for the berrys and summers for the thick folage for the birds. if there is left over fruit and berrys the birds feast on them in wintertime. the blossoms on apples and plums and pears attract many birds but some springs the frosts wreck havoc with the blooms. you might check to see which trees are hardy for your area.

Serviceberry would be my choice. Nice flowers, berries and fall color. If you beat the birds to the berries they make an awesome pie. Ornamental pears are weak wooded and might not take the winds and they are on many state's invasive species lists.

A number of conifers might fit there as well.

Do you get salt spray?

tj

Flowering dogwood provides food for birds, is native and quite beautiful.

Here is a good guide.

Here is a link that might be useful: trees

Thanks everyone for the recommendations. Others have suggested crab apple as well, and I think we'll start by researching that.

tsugajunkie, we're about a mile from the beach, so no salt spray. But the soil is pretty crappy, anyway.

Our crab apple trees attract Cedar Waxwings, goldfinches and tons of other birds. It's very fragrant and beautiful in the spring and I love the look of the tree.

Crab apples from our tree...

blossoms from our crab apple tree...so fragrant!

Ginni, those are glorious! What type of crab are they? I'd LOVE to attract cedar waxwings!

I have a smallish (9'?) Rose of Sharon tree in my backyard that the birds love in the winter -- they eat from the seed pods that are left on the tree. It also flowers all summer long and is very pretty.

Crabapples are a favorite of birds all year long. Not just to eat the berries through fall and winter, but many birds, such as Chickadees, Baltimore Orioles, and Warblers like to glean insects from the trees during spring and summer.

Ginni, that is a beautiful pink Crab! There is one mangly old Crab apple in my back yard that has white flowers and makes berries similar to yours - bright red fruits about 1/4 - 3/8 " in diameter. Must be the perfect size because it is the birds' favorite. Robins, Cedar Waxwings, Bluebirds, Gold and House finches, Starlings etc all seem to frequent this tree first until the berries are gone.

Here's a Cedar waxwing a couple years ago -
{{gwi:470270}}

I vote for the crab apple tree among the birds' favorite trees. But they don't live long. My tree is slowly dying over 4 years, and is hanging on by a single thread :)

I heard that some evergreens like conifer can grow fast and provide good wind break.

My crab apple died so I've been looking.
The article below lists some crab apples that birds like and some they don't. I'll copy the part about crab apples. The rest of the article is good too though.

"Crabapple varieties that are good sources of food for birds include 'Snowdrift,' 'Indian Magic,' 'Profusion,' 'Adirondack,' Harvest Gold , 'Prairifire,' and 'Ormiston Roy.' Birds will not eat the fruit of a few crabapple varieties. Birds don't like the fruit of 'Adams,' 'Donald Wyman,' and Red Jewel"

Here is a link that might be useful: It's for the Birds! Iowa State University

Hawthorne too!

Dax

Here's a great site that has tons of information on landscaping for birds :
http://content.yardmap.org/

Red cedar is great for birds..It offers great protecting and is a nice hiding spot, and also bears berries.Cedar waxwings are the main consumers of the berries, but bluebirds, mockingbirds and robins will also eat it..Cedar berries are eaten by about 40 species of wildlife.

They are also the favorite nesting sites for chipping sparrows, song sparrows, robins and mockingbirds.